Back in April, singer/songwriter Michael McArthur announced his new album Milky Stars will release on September 16th through Transoceanic Records/Soundly Music. Recorded in Nashville and produced by Grammy-winner Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon, James Bay, Kaleo, Modest Mouse), McArthur’s sophomore effort is rooted in his own mix of rock, raw soul, and lushly layered indie folk.
An unapologetically lyric-forward writer, McArthur’s words naturally wrap themselves around his listeners’ lives when put to melody. Through trauma and triumph, music has been his lifelong companion. He writes what he knows, with each song carrying an undercurrent of darkness in a river of personal experience. As a kid, McArthur dreamed of becoming the world’s best guitar player, but every time he’d sit down to practice, he found himself writing a song instead. Two decades later, not much has changed. Despite packing theaters and garnering critical acclaim for his captivating live shows, he still considers himself a hardworking songwriter first.
McArthur built his career the same way he writes his songs –by putting in the work to get the muse to visit. Leaving the family restaurant business to pursue a full-time music career in 2010, McArthur bootstrapped the release of several singles and EPs with producers David Bianco (Tom Petty, Lucinda Williams) and Greg Wells (Adele, Taylor Swift, Rufus Wainwright). In 2019, he released his debut LP, Ever Green, Ever Rain, produced by Grammy-winner Ryan Freeland (Ray Lamontagne, Bonnie Rait).
Today, the second single from Milky Stars, “Run Around,” hits our listener’s ears.
There is a story within the story. It’s less about the female character, though she is a star, and more about one’s inability to value oneself. If we believe this is what we deserve, then it’s all we’ll ever have. And that goes both ways. ‘Run Around’ is the cycle of putting yourself down to lift someone else up, or taking someone down to be lifted up.
Michael McArthur
